Duckling and the Swan (Ballet Sisters Series #1) Book

Little Sylvie likes to play dress-up and dance in the garden with her big sister. But Sylvie is too young for ballet class. And Sylvie does NOT want to be an elf in games of pretend.
When an unintentional haircut leaves Sylvie's hair too short for braids, big sister comes to the rescue by creating a set of braids from an old pair of tights!
New readers will delight in the funny antics of little Sylvie and in the patience of her big sister!

Rachael VilmarCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information. - School Library Journal

K-Gr 2
In this easy reader, two sisters like to put on dress-up clothes and dance. The older girl (the swan) is a slightly bossy school-age child who takes ballet lessons. Sylvie (the duckling) admires and often imitates her, but clearly has a mind of her own. In each of three short chapters, Ormerod uses dancing as a pretext to explore the ups and downs of their relationship. The language, for the most part, is clear, concise, and descriptive-essential qualities for beginning readers. The watercolor illustrations place the girls and their mother on a clean white background, which effectively highlights the expressive detail in their faces and postures. The words and pictures work well together and depict, with subtlety and humor, the emotional life of an ordinary family.